Science Class
by PowerOfThree7
Summary: This was my take on if Ben and Adrian were ever paired together as science partners back in the beginning of the show, right before their friendship emerged.


**April 2009 (Between Season 1 and 2 – Before "The Big One")**

It was a Monday morning when Ben Boykewich was running down the hallways of Grant High. He was late for his morning science test and knew he was in for it. Their teacher, Mrs. Marisol, was frankly "a bitch", as the other students described. It's a wonder she was married. She didn't explain much; she cursed, moaned and complained over nothing. Everything was _somebody's_ fault. Much like Amy! Ben understood Amy was new to motherhood and juggling that with her new job and school, but sometimes she could be _so _bitter and vindictive. Last night he couldn't get any sleep because he was helping her with John and arguing with her all night. He did love her … _but still?_

"You're late!", Mrs. Marisol yelled with passion.

"I know", Ben muttered.

"What was that?" she exclaimed.

"Nothing", he quickly replied.

He sighed. It was yet another class without either Alice or Henry.

He looked around and apparently everyone was partnered up. He really hated these assignments. He didn't like working on his projects with the other teens, which he didn't know and quite frankly were mean. One time he was challenged to fight by this one kid because they got a lower grade than expected. Ben was the one doing all the hard work. Not that loser. He cringed thinking of it. He was use to being the object of scorn and humiliation. He used to get bullied, hit and challenged to fights all the time in Elementary and Middle School – esp. when he had his face-braces in. Girls were almost as bad. No girl was ever interested in him. When he smiled at them, they frowned. When he talked, they moved. Grace Bowman never even noticed he existed at all until earlier in the school year. He was grateful for her helping him the day he got beat up last year though.

"Wake up! This isn't Pre-K and this isn't Nappy-time! Its Lab class", Mrs. Marisol muttered bitterly.

He looked up surprised. Not because Mrs. Marisol was now throwing his book-bag and coat over without his permission as he awakened. It was the student that was with him. It was Adrian Lee – Ricky's girlfriend! They had a couple of run-ins and encounters and let's just say they weren't good ones. He looked around, noticing some other new kids in the room.

"As you know, unfortunately, Mr. Fielder just passed away. So some of his students have become my students. And since everyone else is already partnered up and you two decided to show up late (Adrian rolled her eyes at the teachers remarks) you will be paired up on this assignment", she said.

"There's really no one else I could work with?", Adrian asked.

But Mrs. Marisol wasn't paying attention. She had already walked across the room to scold other students!

Adrian looked back at Ben and grimaced, "Ugh"

Ben smirked at her as she took the high-chair next to him and moved it to a space so she would be sitting across from him instead. She sat down and coldly stared him in the eyes. "Ok. Let's get a few things straight, _Boykewich_. You don't like me and I _definitely_ don't like you! You don't want to work with me and I obviously would rather work with someone else. So let's just work on our own and exchange ideas and research later on this week. We barely _have _to speak to each other at all", Adrian said looking at him with disgust.

It was funny the last time they were in the same room was back in February, in the waiting room, when Amy gave birth to John. Everyone was too overjoyed about John's birth to argue with one another.

"Fine by me, Adrian", Ben muttered.

"And while you're at it, you can take that stupid smirk off your face", she said as he started writing. He frowned looking up at her.

The class was doubled so it was one hour and thirty minutes. He was rather bored and didn't know what he was doing. He caught himself staring back at her every few minutes or so, smiling. Thankfully, she didn't seem to notice this as she seemed very much into her own work. He later started doodling out of sheer boredom.

"Class is almost over. Let me see what you got there", Adrian demanded.

"I'm not even finished", he said annoyed as she grabbed the book away from him.

"Doesn't matter", she said and then seconds later proceeded to laugh.

Ben rolled his eyes.

"You really love her, don't you? _Amy? Amy Jeurgens?_", Adrian said patronizingly as she glared at his God-awful drawing of his girlfriend. He noticed that she said Amy's name with an air of disgust and hatred. "I know. With you two being _married_ and all", Adrian snickered, remembering that disaster of an illegal hot-mess. Ricky and Adrian couldn't stop talking (and laughing) about the utter _unbelievableness _and sheer _ridiculousness_ of it all.

Ben snatched his notebook back and grunted, "Uh …Yes. Yes I do".

"It's like your _obsessed_ or something! … But it's almost cute – you know, two little _geeks_ in love", she said remembering how he was rarely seen without Amy or talking to her on his cell-phone in the hallways, begged her to come to the abortion clinic, bribed her with money to go and annoyingly shoved being his _"I love you"_ down Amy's throat repeatingly the whole ride there. She was trying not to laugh out loud even more than she had. But as comical as she found all of this, she did think it was sweet. And this was why, in her opinion, Ben was better suited for someone like Amy and Ricky was better suited for her. She just continued to hope Ricky would always see it that way.

Two could play at that game. Ben's eyebrows narrowed and he paused before smugly saying, "You love _Ricky_, don't you? Just as I'm sure that he loves you … and Grace … and Michelle … and Patricia … and Ross … and Lauren … and Sandra –"

"Hey! Me and Ricky's relationship is just that! _Between me and Ricky._ It's none of your business, so I don't need your stupid remarks", she snapped. "Idiot", she mumbled under her breathe, so inaudible that Ben couldn't hear it.

"Same here. Just as long as he isn't with Amy, I really don't care what _or who _Ricky is doing", he said bluntly.

"Well … Amy just better keep her hands to her damn self if she knows what's good for her", Adrian said, writing so angrily, breaking her pencil point.

Ben reached into his backpack and gave her another one.

"Thanks", she mumbled bitterly.

"What makes you so sure Amy _even_ wants Ricky? It's Ricky who can't seem to keep his hands to himself when it comes to the opposite sex!", Ben shot back, folding his arms. "Everyone knows that, Adrian. _My_ Amy doesn't want him. She never really did. I mean, why would she?", Ben said trying to convince himself more so than her.

Adrian gave him a sly smirk. "C'mon, _Benny_", she said patronizingly once more. "News-flash! Your _precious_ little Amy isn't as innocent as she puts on. She obviously wanted him at Band Camp, else John wouldn't be here!", Adrian exclaimed. "You know John, my boyfriend's – _Ricky's – _son, right? _Just checking?_", she said with a sharp sarcasm.

Mrs. Marisol glared at them as the bell rang and Ben was now looking away from Adrian.

Adrian toned her voice down, leaned over and put her hand forward towards him on the desk as Ben looked back up, "And besides who can have sex – _especially with Ricky Underwood_ (giggles) – and not realize its happening." Ben looked away. "It's only a matter of time before she wants him again … if she doesn't already … and you're out of the picture … forever", she smirked gleefully at him and then chuckled coldly as she put on her backpack and left the room, leaving Ben with a look of astonishment and worry on his face.

**HE KNEW SHE WAS RIGHT …**


End file.
